This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is prior art. The related art may or may not be prior art. It should therefore be understood that the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and applicant neither concedes nor acquiesces to the position that any given reference is prior art or analogous prior art.
Seismic exploration may utilize a seismic energy source to generate acoustic signals that propagate into the earth along curved paths and refract and partially reflect off subsurface seismic reflectors (e.g., interfaces between subsurface layers). These propagating signals are recorded by sensors (e.g., geophones located in seismic data recording units) laid out in a seismic spread covering a region of the earth's surface. The recorded signals may then be processed to yield a seismic survey.